Cut Copy, The Presets Granada Theater September 30, 2008
Better Than: Chocolate-covered kittens.
Last Night, the Granada Theater was buzzing with an eclectic array of people and fashion senses: clubbers, frat boys, and of course, a handful of aspiring hipster, perhaps hoping to reign over the less fashionable show-goers.
Unfortunately for them (or anyone else concerned with looking cool), The Presets were undoubtedly the best-dressed people there, with the ever-delectable boys of Cut Copy coming in at a close second.
There must be something magical in that Australian water...or perhaps it has something to do with all that Vegemite?
Regardless, the Modular crew certainly knows how to present themselves, both via style and their ability to get the hearts and fists of those around them pumping.
The Presets were the first to take the stage. Initially, the crowd wasn’t wholly receptive. This isn't to say they weren’t engaged; they were just more observant than interactive. But the more eager fans congregated toward the front of the floor, where they danced and sang their Preset-loving hearts out. A high point of the performance was during "Aeons" (a track off the act's latest album, Apocalypso) when drummer/synth man Kim Moyes slid over to the xylophone and the duo proceeded to entrance the crowd with their non-vocal track.
It helped that the entire show was complemented by a lightshow so spectacular it could have been its own installation piece at the Tate. Alongside the performers, florescent tubes lined the stage, throbbing and illuminating to the music. Then, during the transitions between songs, the entire place went dark.
This made for an interesting build in the crowd's energy and anticipation. One second, complete darkness. Then--bam!--an explosion of lights and sound, much like the big bang theory only on a smaller scale, at the Granada theatre, and without the primordial condition of nothingness.
The climax of The Presets set came during “My People” (also from Apocalypso), as the crowd finally ignited to dance and sing along with vocalist Julian Hamilton.
Following The Presets, Cut Copy took the stage, opening with "Visions", a track from the band's latest album, In Ghost Colors. The crowd was immediately amenable and ready for a full fledged dance-party. Cut Copy’s delivery was sincere, and nothing short of enthusiastic.
At the end of their set, frontman Dan Whitford thanked Dallas for coming out, and he and the rest of the boys exited the stage to a roaring house, demanding an encore. A few seconds later, as expected, the florescent tubes on the sides of the stage again burst to life, like oscillating Fruit Stripe gum, and the boys returned to perform their final, and most danceable hit, "Hearts on Fire." --Catherine Downes
Personal Bias: I think Modular Records is the greatest achievement since the Wonderbra.
